25 April 2013
Jasmine and sisters in their apartment in Amman, Jordan. (photo: CNEWA)
This past March marked the tenth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. When the dust from the invasion appeared to have settled, an insurgency more powerful than the invasion whipped through Iraq, its turbulence destroying what remained. Anarchy reigned and those powerless to defend themselves were its victims. Everything changed for Iraq’s Christians. Today, fewer than 300,000 Christians remain, but they live in the north after fleeing their homes in Baghdad. This past Easter, many of the faithful attended liturgies in churches protected by armed guards.
But those are the ones who stayed. About 700,000 Christians (or 70 percent of the prewar number of Christians in Iraq) were forced to leave their homeland. Among them was a young Christian woman named Jasmine. Her story reflects the stories of thousands of Christians who are now living in limbo and need a sign of hope.
I met Jasmine last year. She had been living in Jordanian capital of Amman with her mother and two sisters after fleeing Iraq in October of 2011.
Extremists demanded she convert to Islam. They laughed at her for being Christian. They harassed her sisters, who are mentally challenged. Jasmine’s father died five years ago. The family is poor and her mother is sick — but Jasmine eventually saved enough money to move them to safety in Jordan.
Now Jasmine and her family are scraping by in a poor slum. The family dreams of moving one day to North America. As with so many other refugees, she is awaiting resettlement for a new life. But the process has been prolonged and even put on hold due to the war in Syria.
It is a harsh life, but she still has hope, thanks to CNEWA, which provides families such as Jasmine’s with food, shelter, medicine and pastoral care — enabling her family and many others to live in dignity in such tough conditions.
This can only be done with your generous support.
Many more families need help. Your prayers and sacrifices are very much needed.
Click here to learn how you can help.
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18 January 2013
Left to right: Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Cardinal Edwin F. O’Brien, Jesuit Archbishop Terrence T. Prendergast and Msgr. John E. Kozar hosted a reception in Rome to raise the Italian community’s awareness of the needs of the churches and people of the East. (photo: Carl Hétu)
This past Wednesday, in the frescoed reception rooms of the headquarters of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, the Holy See’s Congregation for the Eastern Churches joined CNEWA in hosting a reception to introduce to the Italian community the needs of the Eastern churches.
The reception capped a flurry of public activities designed to better acquaint Italian Catholics with some of the issues challenging Christian families, especially in the Middle East. As in North America, the Italian media reports on the political and economic dimensions of the Middle East, but few raise the issue of the Christians who have been living there since the time of Christ.
Cardinal Leonardi Sandri, prefect of the Congregation of the Eastern Churches; Cardinal Edwin F. O’Brien, grand master of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre; Msgr. John E. Kozar, president of CNEWA; and Archbishop Terrence T. Prendergast, S.J., chair and treasurer of CNEWA Canada, welcomed more than 100 prominent Italians, including members of the political community and actor Giorgio Lupano.
“Almost every day, in an area of the world called the Middle East, people face forces far greater than the destruction of a hurricane,” Msgr. Kozar said in an address that referenced the hurricane that devastated parts of New York City and the surrounding regions last autumn.
“They face the storms of conflict, hostility, hatred, poverty, injustice and religious and political persecution. At times, there is little hope of survival, let alone the opportunity to rebuild and to live in peace with hope.”
CNEWA’s regional director for Lebanon, Syria and Egypt, Issam Bishara, reported on the current challenges and work being done for, through and with the Eastern churches in the midst of violent conflicts afflicting the region.
Comboni Missionary Sister Alessandra Fumagalli spoke about the work of her community in southern Jordan, where the sisters run the Italian Hospital in Kerak. “It’s really an emergency,” she said about the large numbers of people needing care from a 40-bed facility.
At his weekly audience the day before the event, the Holy Father thanked CNEWA and its benefactors, a few of whom joined Archbishop Prendergast and Msgr. Kozar in the audience hall, for all the work done on behalf of the church.
You, too, can join in these efforts of CNEWA to affirm human dignity, alleviate poverty, encourage dialogue and inspire hope. Click here to learn how.
Tags: Syria CNEWA Middle East Christians Jordan Msgr. John E. Kozar
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10 January 2013
Snowstruck Bethlehem is seen through one of its many moisture-speckled windows. (photo: CNEWA)
It is true: One can’t predict what will happen in the Middle East — political conflict, war, refugees, persecutions. But who would have seen this coming? A snow storm has hit the Holy Land — the first in five years. And the magic of snow had its effect on the children and adults alike who turned out to play, laugh and enjoy the moment.
Yes, schools and offices are closed. Roads are hard to access and navigate — the region isn’t equipped to handle such events. But even here, people are having simple, basic fun. What a pleasure to see!
(Click any of the photos for a full-size image.)
Children build a snowman near the Church of the Nativity. (photo: CNEWA)
This 9 January photo captures the snowfall in Manger Square. (photo: CNS/Marcin Mazur, Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales)
Tags: Holy Land Bethlehem West Bank Church of Nativity
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8 January 2013
A Syrian refugee child cries at the Al Zaatri refugee camp in the Jordanian city of Mafraq, near the border with Syria. (photo: CNS/Muhammad Hamed, Reuters)
Carl Hétu is CNEWA’s national director in Canada.
I am currently in the Holy Land with Archbishop Richard Smith, president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. We are participating in an annual visit to the Holy Land, where bishops from Europe and North America meet with the local Christian community.
On our first day, we headed up to northern Jordan, about a one-hour drive from the capital of Amman, where we were scheduled to meet with Syrian refugees living in camps.
Six months ago, there was only a handful of refugees, but today there are over 100,000 registered people there who have fled the war, the shelling, and the violence that is unbearable for families. They are living in tents with barely the minimum to survive.
The camp we were supposed to visit has about 60,000 people. But on arriving in Amman, we learned that the army had to cancel our visit.The reason? Weather. The wind and rain, along with terrible living conditions, had made life so hard in the refugee camps that the army was expecting riots. The Jordanian government and nongovernmental groups and charities like Caritas and CNEWA are doing their best to help, but resources are few, conditions tough, and people are tired, stressed and fed up. Who wouldn’t be, in similar conditions? But there are no other choices for now. Without aid, life would be much worse.
Today was a typical cold winter day, with heavy rain and strong winds. In Jordan, where water is scarce, it is considered a blessing. But for refugees living in tents, water is a curse.
I just can’t imagine how these poor people left violence to end up in a camp zone they can’t leave — where mud, wind and cold will define everyday living for weeks to come. My only comfort is knowing that, thanks to generous North American Catholics, CNEWA is providing winter kits with heaters, blankets and food.
Any help you can provide is a blessing for these refugees and gives them hope for better things to come. If you want to know more or make a donation please visit our Syrian page.
Tags: Syria CNEWA Jordan Refugees
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3 April 2012
Egyptian protesters hold up a Coptic Christian cross in one hand and a copy of the Quran in the other hand in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt.
(photo: epa european pressphoto agency b.v. / Alamy)
During Holy Week, CNEWA Canada has launched an appeal to support Egypt’s Christians who are experiencing a difficult period of transition. Their homeland is in turmoil and anti-Christian violence is on the rise. Yet, just as Christ persevered through his passion and death, they are not giving up.
Egypt’s Christians are determined to remain in the country and contribute to its renewal and resurrection. It is important that their message of peace and forgiveness is heard in the Egyptian landscape, especially during this time of unrest.
As a minority in Egypt, they are still playing an important role. CNEWA Canada invites you to be part of the efforts to strengthen the Christian community, especially their schools, seminaries and social service works, like health care clinics.
Tags: Egypt Africa Easter CNEWA Canada
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13 January 2012
Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal preaches about the significance of the Holy City of Jerusalem.
(photo: Marcin Mazur/CCN)
This burning question has dominated the thoughts of a few of us participating in the annual Holy Land Coordination meeting, led by a number of bishops from Europe and North America.
Following World War II, the United Nations voted to partition Palestine, which had been governed by Great Britain under a mandate from the old League of Nations. The General Assembly in November 1947 decided to divide Mandate Palestine into three parts: a Jewish state, an Arab state and a separate political entity, a corpus separatum, the city of Jerusalem.
Since the 1967 war, things changed dramatically with the Israeli occupation of the Old City, East Jerusalem and all of the West Bank. The Palestinian Authority, as it now attempts to form an independent state, claims East Jerusalem as its capital. Israel claims that an undivided Jerusalem is the capital of the Jewish state.
Despite these claims, facts on the ground are fast determining who retains rights to which lands.
One claim comes from many Orthodox Jews, who believe the city and territories surrounding it are theirs according to ancient biblical texts. The Israeli media has reported that some who advocate this point of view are growing increasingly intolerant. They have reported random acts of violence directed at anyone, even Jewish Israelis, who claim otherwise. Archaeology, some argue, has become politicized as diggers try to find out who was in Jerusalem first. But many argue this will only serve some and will deny others; they believe that the city needs to be shared by all the communities who call it the Holy City.
In a meeting with the deputy mayor of Jerusalem, Naomi Tsur, she acknowledged that there is a certain intolerance and impatience from some Jewish Orthodox communities, but she believes that people of the city need a common plan. Her dream is to have a “green” pilgrimage city that could unite all peoples to advocate an environmentally clean city.
Her plan is impressive and would be a real success in any city of the world, but Jerusalem isn’t any city.
During his homily last Wednesday, Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal stated that, because of its history and nature, Jerusalem belongs to the world not to one country or one people or one religion. Actually, Jerusalem belongs to all people of faith, he said. This city has to succeed in showing the world that it is possible for Christians, Jews and Muslims to live together in a just world. He called for our prayers and action to help this holy city live up to its religious vocation in the interest of peace.
Tags: Unity Holy Land Interreligious Middle East Peace Process Discrimination
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11 January 2012
Archbishop Elias Chacour welcomes members of the Holy Land Coordination program.
(photo: Marcin Mazur/CCN)
Yesterday, the bishops participating in the Holy Land Coordination program visited the Israeli city of Haifa, where Israeli Christians, Jews and Muslims live side by side. We experienced a city that seems to revel in its complexity, where leaders, teachers, parents and children of all faiths and ethnic groups decided to go beyond the traditional speeches about achieving peace. They agreed to learn, teach, live and play together.
Yet even here, the temptation exists to associate a particular religion to a behavior or attitude. This temptation to label is very dangerous; it inflames doubts and suspicions in a region plagued with conflict and violence, and reinforces the idea that religion is part of the Middle East’s problem.
We came here to see for ourselves how religion heals the injustices of failed political policies. We met with our good friend, Archbishop Elias Chacour, the Melkite Greek Catholic Archbishop of Akko, Haifa, Nazareth and All Galilee, who, while visiting Ottawa last October, mentioned the success of his school in the Israeli village of Ibilin. There, Christian, Druze, Jewish and Muslim students attend the same school.
We had the occasion to meet teachers and religious leaders of a number of faiths present in Haifa, all of whom reminded us that much is needed to instill the necessity of coexistence and mutual respect with tomorrow’s leaders. All agreed that education was the key to peace and that a proper space is needed where all faiths can be together as one while respecting the other’s differences. Interestingly enough, this was the theme of Pope Benedict XVI’s message of peace this past 1 January. It left us with something to think about.
Indeed, two days before I left for Jerusalem, the only mosque in my home town of Gatineau in Quebec was vandalized for the second time in two weeks. Even though Muslims represent less than .5 percent of our population, a minority of people fears their presence.
Yes, we must help parts of the world like the Middle East, but are we not falling into the same trap of intolerance and labeling here in North America? If I am reaching out to Muslims, Jews and Christians in the Middle East, should I not do the same in my home town?
Catholic, Druze, Jewish and Muslim leaders met in Haifa, Israel, to discuss coexistence. Archbishops Patrick Kelly of Liverpool and Richard Smith of Edmonton are among the bishops participating in this Holy Land Coordination program. (photo: Marcin Mazur/CCN)
Tags: Unity Holy Land Interreligious Middle East Peace Process Discrimination
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10 January 2012
A Syriac Catholic family discusses the difficulties of securing adequate housing in Jerusalem.(photo: Carl Hétu/CNEWA)
Editor’s note: CNEWA Canada’s national director, Carl Hétu, is in the Holy Land participating in an annual fact-finding trip taken by Catholic bishops from Europe and North America to avail them of the current situation affecting the Christian community in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel. He began his trip in Jerusalem, meeting with the Syriac Catholic community.
On Sunday, we visited one of the smallest of the Eastern churches in the Holy Land, the Syriac Catholic Church. The Syriac Catholic patriarchal vicar, Bishop Boutros Melki, serves some 30 families. The bishop spent more than 25 years serving a parish community in Montreal, Canada, and was named patriarchal vicar in 2004. Despite the lack of resources, he has renovated the patriarchate and made it into a residence for pilgrims. During the celebration of the Eucharist, Bishop Melki mentioned that Christians in the Holy Land only seek to be treated as equal — nothing less, nothing more.
Afterward, I had the occasion to meet with some families. A retired father passed on to his three sons a print shop in the city. Business is good, but for the families their primary concern is adequate housing. One of the sons told me he now has four children, but their tiny apartment is too small to rear the family. Finding housing in Jerusalem, he said, is next to impossible.
The next day, our group met with four leaders in the Christian community to discuss the issue in depth. One of the four was CNEWA’s own Sami El-Yousef, our regional director for Palestine and Israel. The four panelists confirmed that finding adequate housing plagues the community. The fact that it is expensive is one reason, but the issue is also political. The Jerusalem municipality isn’t that eager to have too many new apartments or houses being built for Palestinians, be they Christian or Muslim. It can take up to three years — usually more — to receive the appropriate construction permits on land that already belong to Christians. For Israeli citizens, it is a matter of months, they stated.
Without proper housing, these experts said that many Christians simply leave the region for areas where they can earn a living and bring up their families more comfortably. There is, however, some hope. Many churches in the city, including the Latin Patriarchate, the Lutheran diocese and the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land, are all working hard to change the situation. They are purchasing land, applying for construction permits and building units that are offered to Christian families at affordable rates. Of the 11,400 Christians living in Jerusalem, said the Latin Patriarchal vicar, Bishop William Shomali, 400 families — about 1,600 people — are in an emergency situation regarding housing.
Paradoxically, the largest landowner in the region is the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. But most of the funds enabling the local churches to combat this housing shortage are from Europeans or North Americans through organizations such as CNEWA.
Syriac Catholic patriarchal vicar, Bishop Melki, celebrates the Divine Liturgy.
(photo: Carl Hétu/CNEWA)
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14 October 2011
Carl Hétu, Archbishop Chacour and Sami El Yousef meet in Haifa, Israel, in February 2010.
I am very excited to report the visit of Most Rev. Elias Chacour, Melkite Catholic archbishop of Haifa, Nazareth and Galilee, who will be in Ottawa from 19 to 24 October. He will be our keynote speaker at a symposium at St. Paul’s University, which aims to raise awareness about the challenges facing Christian communities in the Middle East and their important role in promoting peace in the region. CNEWA and the Sheptytsky Institute are organizing and sponsoring the symposium.
I first met the archbishop in Haifa, Israel, in February 2010. I had heard of this colorful man, who is not afraid to speak his mind when confronted with injustice and intolerance. I had heard of his history and had read his first book, Blood Brothers, telling the story of his family evicted from their village the year Israel was created and his journey toward reconciliation and peace, refusing to condone violence or to keep silent. I was excited to meet this larger-than-life character and, indeed, he did not disappoint.
During our discussion, I asked him when he had last come to Canada. He replied that it was 20 years ago as a young priest. I said that was far too long ago for someone who travels all over the world and that he needed to pay Canada another visit. He then said to let him know a good time and he would come.
Then from 10 to 24 October 2010, the pope called a special synod gathering of Catholic bishops, priests, religious and lay to discuss the future of Christianity in the Middle East. I was in Rome for this event and, again, I briefly met with Archbishop Chacour. He asked me if I had the dates for his visit to Canada. I replied assuredly that sometime in the Fall 2011 would work. Well, to be honest, I wasn’t sure at all, but that sounded like a good time to me in the heat of the moment.
Ever since the synod, I thought we should organize a special event in Ottawa but I couldn’t see CNEWA Canada doing it alone. Then in March, I met with Father Stephen Wojcichowsky, director of the Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies in Ottawa, who wanted to organize a special event for the institute’s 25th anniversary. It didn’t take long to figure out that together we could also use the occasion to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the synod. The rest is history.
While in Ottawa, Archbishop Chacour will meet with members of parliament on 21 October, give media interviews and take part in two public events. We also hope to meet with the Honourable John Baird and his staff to discuss the newly established Office of Religious Minorities and with the Honourable Berverly Oda, minister for International Cooperation.
As the Arab Spring continues and a sense of uncertainty pervades the region, Christian minorities are worried as well as hopeful about their future. I believe Archbishop Chacour’s visit to Ottawa is crucial in helping us Canadians better understand and respond to the changing events in the Middle East.
To learn more about Archbishop Chacour’s time in Ottawa click here or here.
Tags: Middle East Christians Canada CNEWA Canada
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